A mother who snatched her young twins from social workers was yesterday described by her teenage daughter as a "fantastic Mum", despite a judge warning that the children are "at serious risk of harm".

Tamara Dyson, 37, disappeared with four year olds, Vixen Rae and Billy Blu Francis from their home town of Skegness, Lincolnshire last Thursday.

Dyson, Judge Heather Swindells said this week, has "a chronic and dangerous alcohol problem". The children had been taken into foster care because of concerns about her ability to look after them. Initial reports suggested she may have taken them to Ireland.

Dyson's 16-year-old daughter, Olympia, yesterday pleaded for the family to be reunited and defended her mother's behaviour. "She's just desperate for us all to be a family again," Olympia said. "They are making out she would harm them, that she is a chronic alcoholic and that she has a problem... Mum is fantastic, she's amazing. She is so much more like my best friend."

The saga is being aired in public because the police have put out an appeal for her return and the court took the unusual step of lifting reporting restrictions on the case.

The twins' natural father Billy Francis, 31, an electrician from Greenwich, London, has called for the public's help in finding the children. "I am livid that this has happened with social services while under their care and responsibility," he said yesterday. The children were snatched from Roseberry Avenue Contact Centre in Skegness, reportedly while social workers were distracted while making a cup of tea.

Hearing the case, Judge Swindell told Lincoln County Court: "This is the second time in a week Tamara Dyson has removed the children from contact. It's the view of the court that the children are at serious risk of harm.

"Despite the best efforts of the police since Thursday the children have still not been found and there are concerns that Tamara and the children are no longer in the country."

Detective Inspector Andy Wardell of Lincolnshire police said: "We have got no information that Tamara is deliberately going to cause these children harm. We want to locate Tamara and the children as soon as possible."